


Let Me Start Over

by orphan_account



Series: Dragon Age: Tales of the Heroes [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alistair's POV, Cute, F/M, First meeting with different dialogue, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 05:36:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18866806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Alistair was having a rough time with that stupid mage when he saw a beautiful elf and his whole world flipped upside down.





	Let Me Start Over

Alistair couldn’t really say why the Revered Mother had given him this task. _Probably to annoy the mage more,_ Alistair thought to himself as he listened to the mage make his fired up comments and shot a few hints of sarcasm back at the robe-wearing fiend. He had to keep from rolling his eyes more than a few times as the mage continued his tirade.

    The conversation was just wrapping to a close when Alistair spotted her out of the corner of his eyes. Her long locks of hair shined in the sunlight, the golden rays of sun highlighting the strawberry blonde locks, and she looked like some kind of warrior queen from the legends. Alistair’s mouth fell open when her bright green eyes locked on his own and one of her sleek brows rose up as in mockery of the mage’s anger.

    Finally, he managed to send the mage away. Just in time for the young woman to stride towards him with confidence dancing in her gait. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as her honey-tinged voice asked, “What’d you ever do to that mage?”

Alistair blinked as he tried to think of an answer but was too busy counting the flecks of freckles that dotted her ivory face. His mouth flopped open and then closed again a couple of times, making him look more like a fish than a Grey Warden. “I-I, uh, I was supposed to deliver a message to him.”

She reached up and pushed a couple of stray strands of hair behind her ears with delicate fingers, revealing pale ears that tapered upwards into a point rather than a rounding arc. She was an elf. Alistair’s eyes widened almost comically at this revelation, but she didn’t seem to notice as she let loose a melodic giggle and said, “He must’ve not liked the message.”

Alistair continued to stare like a scared school boy at the beautiful girl and her pointed ears and the way her green eyes were sparkling at him. Her laughter died down as she realized he hadn’t answered or done anything but stare at her. As she narrowed her eyes in scrutiny, Alistair finally found the courage to reply,  “Or he didn’t like the deliverer,”

“What’s not to like?” the girl questioned.

“Well, I used to be a Templar,” Alistair informed her and took a deep breath, steeling himself for her response.

The girl tilted her head to the side and her long locks of hair fell over her shoulder as she did so. Her eyebrows scrunched together, forming a little crease between her impossibly round eyes. “You? A Templar?”

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“You don’t seem like a mage hunter,” the girl replied with a shrug.

It was Alistair’s turn to raise his brows, but he decided to let the comment slide; after all, he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to look like a mage hunter or not. He returned her shrug with one of his own. “Whatever I may look like, I am still a gentleman,” Alistair said as he dropped down into an overly dramatic bow. “What can I do for you, my lady?”

The girl giggled again, the sound trilling in his ears like the bubbly tune of a bird’s song, and he could swear her pale cheeks turned pinkish at his words. When her giggles died down, she smiled, beaming a mouthful of pearly teeth at him, and said, “I believe you’re supposed to escort me to Duncan whenever you have the time.”

Confusion rushed over Alistair before realization hit him like a brick in the face. This beautiful elven girl was one of the new recruits. She was going to try to be a Grey Warden like him. “You-You’re Duncan’s new recruit?” he stuttered.

Her eyes narrowed again, though her still-bright smile downplayed their severity. “Why so surprised?” she asked in a sweetly tart voice. “Is it because I’m a woman or because I’m an elf?”

He wanted to say something smooth and clever like, “No, it’s because you’re beautiful,” but he’d feel stupid saying that. “No, no, not at all. I mean, there isn’t many of either in the Grey Wardens, but I’m only surprised because you-you’re nice, I guess.”

He wasn’t really sure if he was surprised by that or the fact that she was a lot prettier than the normal recruits. Of course, her being an elf had surprised him a bit, but he wasn’t about to tell her that.

His answer didn’t relieve her eyes from their narrowed position, but it didn’t seem to relax her too-straight back. “Am I not supposed to be nice?”

 _Maker,_ Alistair thought as he looked down at the green eyes that were narrowed up at him, _let me start over._ She tipped her chin upwards as she waited for his answer and he could swear he saw a fire burning in her eyes. “Can-Can we just start over, please? I put my foot in my mouth more than I do anything else.”

The girl’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly more before returning to their normal state as she said, “Sure, let’s start over.”

“I’m Alistair,” he said nervously with a twitching smile.

“Lenna Tabris,” the girl replied with a small smile.

Alistair’s twitching smile became something real until he saw the flash of the sun on something metallic as she shoved another unruly lock of hair behind her pointed ears. His eyes followed the flash until he discovered the source: a golden ring on her left ring finger. Was she married? Why would she be joining the Grey Wardens?

Her eyes followed his and her cheeks turned bright red. Something almost sad glimmered in her emerald eyes as she looked down at the ring for a long, haunting moment. When a bird twittered above their heads and splat of white goop hit the ground between their feet, he watched her shake herself out of her trance and smile at him. “Well, are you going to give me a tour or what?”


End file.
